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Jan. 27, 1931. F. LEEPER ET AL VENETIAN BLIND Filed Dec. 5. 1928 2 Shouts-Shut 1 INVENTORS: fia/zi Lap 02f,

RNEYS Jan. 27, 1931. F. 'LEEPER ET AL VENETIAN BLIND Filed Dec. 3. 1928 2 shoetflrshO t 2 y Zw m W/MWWW A Z? Z W n Patented Jan. 27, 1931 1 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FRANK LEEPER, OF SAN MARINO, AND JAMES G. OSBON, OF ALHAMBRA, QALIFORNIA,

assrcnons 'ro COLUMBIA MILLS iron on NEW YORK INCORPORATED, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORA- VENETIAN BLIND Application filed December s, 1928. Serial No. 328,254.

This invention relates to improvements in a Venetian blind.

Broadly speaking, one object of the invention is the provision of novel means for 6 mounting-a head rail for suspending the blind within or upon an open frame, such as a window frame.

Another object of the invention is to provide a construction having a plurality of novel spaced brackets for supporting the head rail.

Another aspect and afurther advantage thereof is the provision of a novel supporting bracket having means for releasably securing the head rail thereto, whereby the latter may be detachably mounted between or updn the frame elements.

Specifically, another object of tion is the provision of a supporting bracket having a retaining member resiliently held in position to engage the front face of the head rail, but movable out of such position,

so as to permit removal of the head rail from the bracket. A further object ofthe invention is to provide novel means for guiding the blind lifting cords away from the brackets and at the same time permitting access to said cords without interference with the proper operation of the lifting means.

3 More particularly, another object thereof which is of simple and inexpensive construction which may be quickly and easily mounted in position onthe window frame, and which will permit quick mounting and removal of the head rail and will hold such head rail firmly in position thereon.

'We prefer to provide two spaced head rail supporting members adapted .to be attached between the inner faces of the frame members or upon the outer or rfront faces thereof, for supporting the respective ends of the head rail. U

The invention aims further, as above intimated, to improve generally and enhance the utility of devices of that type hereinafter described.

It is to beunderstoodthat the construction hereindisclosed is merely suggestive of that the invenis to provide ahead rail supporting means in carrying out the method of operation, it being understood that any other suitable construction and arrangement of different elements may be employed within the spirit and scope of the invention. I

The invention is exemplified in the combination and arrangement of parts shown in the following specification and it is more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings Fig. 1 is a front broken view in elevation, of the frame, illustrating the outside brackets or supporting means for the blind.

Fig. 2 is a view taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1 in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 3 is a view in perspective of an outside bracket.

Fig. 4 is a front broken view in elevation of the frame disclosing inside brackets supporting the head rail.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the inside.

bracket.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary plan view of the head rail, mounted upon inside brackets, and provided with an advantageous means for mounting the lifting cords.

Fig. 7 is a section on line'77 in Fig. 6. Fig. 8 is a transverse sectional view taken .on the line 8 8 in Fig. 6, in the direction of'the arrows.

Referring to the ,form of the invention shown in Figsl, 2 and 3, the reference character 10 represents the frame of a window or the like, embodying the side members 11 and top frame member 12 between which a Venetian blind 13 is properly maintained in tiltable adjustment. Associated with the frame, and in spaced relation thereon, are the brackets 14 for supporting the head rail 15 in a manner which will be hereinafter disclosed. ,The spaced brackets 14 are mounted in alignment on the front faces of the respective frame members 11, and extend outwardly therefrom and away from the opening formed by said frame members. The brackets used for thus mounting the head rail 15 in position outside the frame are known as outside brackets. Each outside bracket (see Figs. 2 and 3) comprises an arm 16 bearing the integral upper jaw 17, preferably perpendicular thereto and of a length substantially co-extensive with the width of the head rail 15, as illustrated in Fig. 2. The arm 16 is provided with spaced apertures 18for receiving the screws 19 whereby said arm is suitably secured and fastened to the front faces of the frame members 11. It is within the scope of our invention to substitute other fastening means for the securing screws 19, and also the head rail supporting brackets may be mounted at the back faces of the frame 10 instead of the front faces as hereinbefore set out.

Disposed in spaced relationship to upper jaw 17 and substantially parallel thereto is the lower jaw or supporting arm 20 provided with the integral upward extension 22 through which are passed fastening pins 24 for rigidly securing the extension 22 to the arm 16. It will be observed that the pins 24 pass through extension 22 and arm 16.

Secured to the lower jaw 20 adjacent arm 16 is the resilient clamp 27, held in position by fastening pin 26. The clamp embodies the fiat spring plate or leaf 28 having an upwardly extending lug 29 at its outer end forming a retaining member adjusted to engage or-abut the front face of the head rail when in position between jaws 17 and 20, and the coiled terminal portion 30 defining a head for reinforcement purposes and for facilitating manual. depression of the clamp. When it is desired to insert the head rail 151between the upper and lower jaws, it is necessary to depress the clamp 27 to the position indicated by the dotted lines at 27-in Fig. 2. After insertion the resiliency of the .clamp forces the lug 29 into position to abut or engage the front face of the head rail and hold the head rail snugly against the extension 22 as a rear stop.

The blind or curtain 13 comprises a plurality of spaced slats 31 of the conventional type held in suspension by the tape members 32 maintained by the tilt rail 33 which is pivotally sustained between the brackets 34 secured beneath the bottom face of the head rail 15. The upper face of the head rail is provided with a longitudinally disposed guiding slot 35 for the lifting cords 36 which are connected to the bottom slat in the usual manner, so as to permit raising or lowering of the slats in well-known manner. At one end of the head rail, the slot 35 flares into a recess of sufiicient size to receive the rotatably mounted pulley 39 on pin 40. The lifting cords 36 extend up between the tape members 32 and are trained over the respective pulleys 41 and lead to the marginally disposed terminal pulley 39 and over and beyond the outside head rail brackets 50 are held in spaced re-- lationship, being mounted in alignment, and each is secured to an inner traverse face 51 of one of the frame members 11. Each inside bracket embodies the bearing plate 52 provided with the integral horizontal seat or supporting member 53 having at its rear end the upstanding portion 54 from which projects horizontally'and forwardly the tapered and pointed prong 55. The head rail seat 53 and the bearing plate 52 are preferably integral, although it is within the scope of our invention to make them of two parts which may be secured to one another. The bearing plate 52 contains the upper and lower apertures 57. The resilient clamp 58 is in this case secured beneath seat 53 by the pin 59 passing through said clamp and rigidly secured to the seat. The clamp is provided at its forward end with the upwardly extending lug 60 defining a retaining member adapted to abut the front face of the head rail and preferably coiled at its upper end as at 61. The brackets 50 are secured to the inner faces ofthe frame members and are held thereto by the screws or fastening elements 63 passing through openings 57 of the bearing plate. 1

To insert the head rail between the inside brackets, the clamps are depressed as shown in dottedlines at 58' in Fig. 7, permitting the head rail to enter and bear against prongs 55. A blow of sufiicient force is used to drive the prongs directly into the rear face 64 of the head rail so that the prong extends within the body of the rail, as illustrated in Fig. 8. In this position the rear face of the rail preferably bears against the inner face of the upstanding portion 54. Upon release of the spring clamp 58, the inner face of the retaining lug 60 abuts the forward or front face of the head rail, to hold the head rail firmly in position. Upward movement of the head rail is prevented not only by prongs 55, but also by engagement with the under side of the top frame member 12, as shown in Fig. 4.

In Fig. 4 it will be noted, that lifting of the slats 31 is obtained as before by means of the free ends 42 of the lifting cords 36 which pass over pulley 39 in recess 67 and through an opening 66 in the head rail adjacent the seat 53, permitting easy and free movement of the cgrds for proper manual manipulation there- 0 In Figs. 6,7 and 8 a modified mounting of the lifting cords is illustrated, in which the free ends of. said cords are shown as brought forwardly and away from the head rail by means of a novel arrangement of a pair of rollers or pulleys as will be hereinafter set forth. A flat plate 68 is secured across the top face of the head rail, by'means of the removable screw 69. Depending from said plate is the pin 70 rotatably supporting the pulley 71 which is positioned in the path of the longitudinal channel or slot 72 and the latter communicates with the transverse openchannels 72 to the horizontalroller 71 and,

trained thereover and through opening 73 to the vertical roller or pulley 7 8,-being trained thereby and led to position such that the free ends 42 thereof hang down in front of the head rail and the blind, so as to be freely accessible for rapid and unrestricted manual control. The inner faces 84 of the depending cars 75 and 76 are preferably straight and vertical, so as to bear solidly against the outer face of the head rail, as shown in Fig. 8, and

cooperate with the single screw 69 to hold the plate 68 and the pulleys carried therebyagainst lateral movement.

To remove the head rail 15 from the inside brackets shown in Figs. 4 to 8, clamps 58 are lowered by depressing the upstanding portions 60 each clamp being secured on the seat 53 by the pin 59. By bringing the head rail 15 forward, the prong 55 is detached from the recess formed by the prong in the material composing the head rail. Normally the clamp is in elevated position and bears against the bottom face of the seat 53.

In both Figs. 1 and 4, means for tilting the .slats of the blind are indicated at 81, and the cords for effecting operation thereof are shown at 82. These tilting means are preferably located, as shown, at the opposite end of the head rail from that at which the lifting cords are brought out, so that the tilting cords 82 are disposed at one side of the frame and the lifting cords 42 at the opposite side, in the usual manner. The. tilting means may be of any suitable or wellknown type, for example they may be of thl; type shown in patent to John'P. itmore, No. 1,639,474, issued August 16,1927, and it will be understood that by operation of the tilting means the sev eral slats of the blind may be tilted to any desired angular position, while by operation.

of the lifting cords the lowermost slat, and successively higher slats, may be raisedto any desired height. The operation of these lifting and tilting devices is well known, and forms no part of this invention, except in so far as regards the particular means for mounting the lifting cords, shown in Figs. 6, 7 and 8.

It will be seen that, while our improved form of supporting bracket is subject to considerable modificationof shape and-detail, so as to adapt the same to mounting in different. positionsvon a frame, there are certain essential features which are provided in any case, and which cooperate to normally hold the head rail firmly in position, but at the same time permit ready removal thereof. The bracket comprises in each case a supporting element which preferably extends substantially horizontal, means connected thereto for mounting the same on the frame, a rear stop projecting upward from the supporting element, an element extending forwardly from said rear stop and adapted toengage the head rail when in position on said supporting element and hold the same against upward movement, and retaining means resiliently held in position to engage the front face of the head rail and hold the same in position but movable out of such position so as to permit easy removal of the head rail.

This easy removal of the head rail is of material advantage, as it frequently becomes necessary to remove the same for the purpose of cleaning, adjusting or repairing some part of the blind. By means of the brackets abovedescribed, such removal is permitted without the necessity of loosening any screws or other rigid retaining means, or of damaging or injuring either the blind or the frame in any way, as has frequently been the case with rigidly mounted head rails.

From the foregoing description considered in connection with the accompanying draw operation, will be readily appreciated. Be-

cause of the simple form of the various elements entering into the disclosed construc tion the device may be produced at comparatively small manufacturing cost. It will be obvious to those skilled in the art, after an understanding of our invention, that other changes and modifications may be made w1thout departing from the spirit and scope of our invention and we aim in the appendedclalms to cover such modifications and changes as are within the scope of our invention.

We claim:

1. In a Venetian blind associated with a frame and having ahead rail disposed adjacent the frame and supporting the blind, retaining means supported by said frame and including a portion resiliently held 1n a position to secure said head rail in place.

2. In a Venetian blind associated with a frame and having a head rail, supporting means for said head rail mounted on-'said frame, and retaining means disposed on said abutting the front face of said mounted on said brackets.

4. In a Venetian blind associated with a frame, a pair of brackets mounted on the frame adjacent opposite sides thereof, a head rail supported by said brackets, and horizontally extending prong means at the rear of each bracket adapted to be driven into said rail, and retaining means mounted on said brackets and having a portion resiliently held in position abutting the front face of said head rail and cooperating with said prong means for holding said head rail in position.

5. A bracket for supporting the head rail of a Venetian blind, comprising a vertical portion, a horizontally extending supporting element, an upwardly extending lug at the rear of said supporting element, a forwardly rail and extending prong carried by said lug, and ret aining means resiliently held in position in front of said supporting element and extending upwardly above the plane of said supporting element.

6. A bracket for supporting the head rail of a Venetian blind, comprising a vertically mounted element, a horizontally extending supporting element rigidly connected to said mounting element, upwardly extending stop means at the rear end of said supporting element, and retaining means in front of said supporting element and resiliently held in position above the plane of said supporting element,

7. A bracket as set forth in claim 6, and comprising in addition means extending above and spaced from said supporting element and adapted to engage a head rail resting on said supporting element, to hold the same downwardly thereon.

8. A supporting bracket for the head rail of a Venetian blind, comprising a supporting element, a rear stop projecting upwardly from said supporting element, an element extending forwardly from said rear stop and adapted torengage a head rail when in position on said supporting element and against said rear stop and to hold the same against upward movement, and retaining means resiliently held in position to engage the front face of said head rail and hold the same against said rear stop and in engagement with said forwardly extending means, said retaining means being movable out of such position so as to permit removal of said head rail.

In testimony whereof We have hereunto subscribed our names this 13th day of November 1928.,

FRANK LEEPER.

JAMES G. OSBON. 

